Pacers Tyrese Haliburton makes All-NBA for 2nd time
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Eastern Conference finals have shifted to Indianapolis for Game 3 between the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks. The Knicks are in need of a victory after the Pacers took a 2-0 series lead with a pair of wins at Madison Square Garden.
Pascal Siakam scored 39 points to lead the Indiana Pacers to a 114-109 road win over the New York Knicks in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Friday evening.
The Indiana Pacers have been the biggest surprise in the 2025 NBA Playoffs. Since they started the postseason, the Pacers have been the underdogs who have proven the doubters wrong.
Although Stephen A. Smith refuses to call Tyrese Haliburton a star, the ESPN analyst gave the former Cyclone his flowers on First Take.
The New York Knicks are facing quite the uphill battle in the Eastern Conference Finals after losing the first two games to the Indiana Pacers at home, but Jalen Brunson isn't going down without a fight ahead of Sunday's Game 3 on the road.
Knicks star Jalen Brunson said he had confidence in his teammates that they could overcome an 0-2 deficit, then directed something toward Knicks fans.
The rival guards, who met last year in the East semifinals, with Haliburton's Pacers advancing, appeared on an episode of “SmackDown” at Madison Square Garden in June 2024, feuding alongside Logan Paul and other stars.
Tyrese Haliburton and Jalen Brunson take center stage as they battle in the 2025 NBA Eastern Conference Finals and the impact on their card market could be huge
Haliburton is easily the heel in this scenario. After being voted the most overrated player in the NBA by his peers, Haliburton went on a tear, leading the Pacers to series wins over the Milwaukee Bucks and Cleveland Cavaliers. He’s taken up the mantle passed on by Pacers’ legend Reggie Miller in irking the Knicks fanbase beyond their wits’ end.
Hart said because of how the Brunson-Haliburton heat paved the way for the playoff matchup, he believes there's going to be more NBA players trying to get in WWE once the season is over. It could be Brunson and Haliburton again as well, especially since SummerSlam 2025 is taking place August 2-3 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.